Before I begin today’s blog, I want to ask if you’ve been enjoying my sometimes-weekly barrage of occasionally pertinent and compelling writing.
What if I were to tell you that for a dollar a week, you can continue to receive my blog by email? OR, alternatively, you can simply keep receiving these emails for free. It’s your choice.
I'm kidding, of course. I blog for the enjoyment, not for any monetary benefit. I’m sure there are ways to make a few bucks in the blogosphere, but I choose not to pursue them. Even if it were worth it, I’m not sure it would provide me with the same satisfaction.
Now for some people, creating blogs and podcasts is more of a livelihood. I get that – it takes time and resources. You have to pay for their internet, right?
Such is the predicament, so it seems, that many bloggers and podcasters find themselves in. How far can self-satisfaction take you when you’re spending 10-20 hours a week on a hobby that doesn’t offer any monetary compensation?
It’s become particularly challenging for podcasters. As a podcast addict, I’m keenly aware of the desire to gain paid subscribers. This is an uphill battle. Unless you’re Joe Rogan (anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist and Aaron Rodgers's medical advisor), you’re not going to attract many paid subscribers or advertisers to your show.
The best part about podcasts is that they’re free. Free to consume and (almost) free to produce. Anyone in their basement with a microphone can create one. And some do a pretty darn good job talking about things they’re knowledgeable about.
More and more podcasters, however, ask for your support. They’ll even mention the names of people who donate to their show, which gives you an idea of how many people actually donate to their show.
This poses quite the dilemma for me, a joyful free rider. I don’t typically like to pay for something unless I have to. And when I do freely choose to give, I prefer to donate to a charitable organization rather than some person who’s requesting my money. This Mennonite mantra - Give Freely, but Remember, Nothing's for Free - is deeply engrained into every cell of my body.
Not to say there aren’t exceptions. I’m one of the few people who gives $5 to Wikipedia every year to keep this non-profit afloat. Since I value the lack of advertising, I feel they deserve a paltry annual donation. And let’s be honest, where would we be today without Wikipedia?
But podcasters? The guy speaking into a microphone in his basement? If they had a product that could actually sell, they wouldn’t have this problem! The thing is, their product isn’t that valuable in the world market of information. When they quit, there’s always another podcaster to take their place.
They are but one of millions swimming in a great big ocean of words and ideas. The average person has more access to information today than ever before. Almost every newspaper now faces the same problem. The Globe and Mail wants to charge me $30 a month for an online subscription, when I can get most of their news in other places for free. And so I wait for their promos (hey, I like the columnists!).
Blogging satisfies my need to write and, to be honest, my frail ego; to get at least some recognition for my thoughts, however strange and misguided they might be. I might write something that lacks flare or flow, or that may even offend some people, and that’s fine! Simply delete. I have no demands, other than desperately wanting you to come back the next week to read again.
While I wouldn’t say no to a thousand dollars a month in compensation, I don't need it. (A hundred dollars a month would be fine.)
Knowing someone, even just one person (in addition to my mom), is reading – that's enough for me.
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